Public Adjuster Fort Lauderdale: Guard Your Claim Before Cleanup

If you are searching for a public adjuster in Fort Lauderdale, the damage may have just happened and a cleanup crew may be on the way. Hiring a public adjuster can wait while you document the loss, but do not delay emergency measures necessary to prevent further damage. Record the damage, keep your receipts, read every form before you sign it and report the claim to your insurer. If the insurer later denies the claim, stalls or pays less than the damage is worth, an insurance claim attorney may be the better fit.

The First Few Hours: Record the Loss Before Anything Leaves the House

Once damaged materials are removed, they are gone for good. Your own photos and video may be the only record of what the room looked like on the day of the loss.

• Walk through each affected room with your phone recording video. Say the date and the room name out loud.
• Take wide shots to show where the damage is, then close-ups of stains, warping, standing water and broken materials.
• Keep damaged materials or a small sample when practical. Photograph anything that has to be thrown out.

The Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights in section 627.7142, Florida Statutes, advises policyholders to "Keep the damaged property, if feasible, keep all receipts, and take photographs or video of damage before and after any repairs to provide to your insurer." Doing this helps document the claim. It does not guarantee any result.

If moisture has already led to mold growth, our Fort Lauderdale mold damage guide covers that situation.

While the Crew Works: Stop Further Damage and Build a Paper Trail

The duty to take reasonable steps to protect your property from more damage comes from your insurance policy. Read the section titled something like "Duties After Loss" so you know what your policy requires.

The Bill of Rights does not create that duty. It advises homeowners to "Make and document emergency repairs that are necessary to prevent further damage." It also advises you to contact your insurer before entering into any contract for repairs, to confirm any managed repair policy provisions or optional preferred vendors.

Start one folder, paper or digital, and put everything in it:

• Receipts and invoices for emergency work, drying equipment, tarps and supplies
• Costs for a hotel or meals if you had to leave the home
• Every letter, email, estimate and payment from the insurer
• A call log with the date, time and name of each person you spoke with

The Clipboard Moment: Forms You Are Asked to Sign Before Work Begins

Before the work starts, you may be handed a contract, a work authorization or a direct-pay form. Take the time to read every page, even if the crew is waiting.

The Bill of Rights advises you to "Carefully read any contract that requires you to pay out-of-pocket expenses or a fee that is based on a percentage of the insurance proceeds that you will receive for repairing or replacing your property." It also advises confirming that the contractor is licensed to do business in Florida and requiring proof of insurance before repairs begin.

If a document mentions your insurance benefits, payment from your insurer or authority over your claim, ask a lawyer to review it before you sign. Apply the same care to any public adjuster contract. For more on that decision, see is hiring a public adjuster in Florida a smart move.

After You Report: What Your Insurer Owes You and When

The Bill of Rights advises filing all claims directly with your insurance company. Under section 627.70132, Florida Statutes, which applies to property insurance policies, including policies from eligible surplus lines insurers, a claim or reopened claim is barred unless notice was given to the insurer in accordance with the policy terms within 1 year after the date of loss. For a supplemental claim, the limit is 18 months after the date of loss. These limits are tolled during any deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting that materially affects a named insured servicemember's ability to file.

Section 627.70131, Florida Statutes, applies to residential property insurers, including surplus lines insurers providing residential coverage. Among other duties:

• Acknowledgment: within 7 calendar days after receiving a communication about a claim, unless payment is made in that time or the failure is caused by factors beyond the insurer's control. This acknowledgment requirement does not apply to claimants represented by counsel beyond those communications necessary to provide forms and instructions.
• Investigation: unless the policy or law provides otherwise, the insurer must begin within 7 days after receiving proof-of-loss statements, unless the failure is caused by factors beyond its control. Any physical inspection must happen within 30 days after the insurer receives the proof-of-loss statements, and the adjuster must give you their name and state adjuster license number.
• Estimates: a copy of any detailed estimate within 7 days after the insurer's adjuster generates it. The insurer is not required to create one if it is not reasonably necessary.
• Decision: within 60 days after notice of an initial, reopened or supplemental claim, the insurer must pay or deny the claim or a portion of it, unless the failure to pay is caused by factors beyond its control, with a reasonable written explanation.

These requirements are tolled during mediation under section 627.7015 or any alternative dispute resolution in the policy. They are also tolled if you do not provide material claims information within 10 days after the insurer's request was received. That second type of tolling applies only to requests sent at least 15 days before the pay-or-deny deadline.

Signs Your Claim Needs Legal Help

A lawyer can give you legal advice about your policy and Florida law. Consider calling an insurance claim attorney if:

• The claim is denied, or the written explanation does not match what happened.
• The payment is less than the insurer's own detailed estimate and no reasonable written explanation of the difference was provided, as section 627.70131 requires.
• The deadlines above pass and the insurer has given no reason.
• You are asked to sign a release, sit for a recorded statement or examination, or go to appraisal.

Under section 627.70152, Florida Statutes, a lawsuit under a residential or commercial property policy requires written notice of intent to initiate litigation to the Department of Financial Services at least 10 business days before filing. The notice may not be given until the insurer has made a coverage determination.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I wait for a public adjuster before letting the crew start?

You do not need to wait to protect your home. Record photos and video first, take reasonable steps to stop further damage as your policy requires, keep every receipt and report the claim. Read any form before you sign it.

What document should my insurer send after I report the claim?

Under section 627.7142, Florida Statutes, an insurer issuing a personal lines residential property policy in Florida must provide the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights within 14 days after receiving an initial communication about a claim.

What if I disagree with the insurer's decision?

Section 627.7015, Florida Statutes, sets up a mediation program for personal lines and commercial residential claims. A claim becomes eligible after the insurer complies with s. 627.70131(7), Fla. Stat., or elects to reinspect. Mediation is nonbinding unless a written settlement is reached and not rescinded. A lawyer can explain your other options.

Talk to Louis Law Group

If your Fort Lauderdale property insurance claim was denied, delayed or underpaid, Louis Law Group can review your policy, your records and the insurer's response. See if you qualify or call (833) 657-4812. Our office is at 12 SE 7th St Ste 805, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.

This article is general information, not legal advice.